Return Within

Genuine masters and enlightened beings have always avoided drawing attention onto themselves because the sole purpose of their embodied existence was to direct our attention inwards where the true essence of our being can be experienced.
They manifested in the physical realm to impress upon us that the lasting happiness we are seeking cannot be found on the level of the ever-changing phenomenal world, so they always point beyond the impermanent and transitory towards something much more deeper, more profound, and ultimately ineffable. Their teachings are mere signposts, and as such, they should never be mistaken for the destination.
As the great Zen master Bodhidharma points out: "Even if you can explain thousands of sutras and shastras, unless you see your own nature, yours is the teaching of a mortal, not a Buddha."

Feel free to reach out to me if you are looking for spiritual guidance, a listening ear, or simply someone to share your thoughts and experiences with.

We may profess our longing for liberation, but are we truly prepared to relinquish the attachments that bind us? Liberation means transcending the limitations of this world, and to do that we must rise above our infatuation with it. So long as our minds remain captivated by the enticement of earthly endeavors, we remain prisoners within the boundaries of this finite existence. Breaking free from these constraints requires a shift in perspective, a recognition of the impermanent and illusory nature of worldly phenomena and the inherent contentment that resides within.

Sri Ramana used to say that our unwillingness to let go of the petty pleasures of life, when in exchange we can gain infinite happiness, is like being unwilling to give a copper coin in exchange for a gold one.

Feel free to reach out to me if you are looking for spiritual guidance, a listening ear, or simply someone to share your thoughts and experiences with.

Hope and fear arise in us because of our attachment to external circumstances, and our belief that our happiness and well-being depend on those circumstances. We hope for positive outcomes because we believe they will bring us happiness, and we fear negative outcomes because we fear the potential loss of happiness or the experience of suffering.

As long as we hold the belief that happiness is derived from external circumstances we remain slaves to a never-ending cycle of desires and expectations that disable us from seeing the reality of our true nature, which is inherently peaceful, happy and absolutely free. By cultivating a state of equanimity and detachment from the incessant activities of the mind we come into direct contact with the underlying essence of our being, and experience an inner stillness and freedom that is not dependent on any particular outcome or circumstance. We find refuge in our true nature, which is unchanging and ever unaffected by the fluctuations that occur in time and space. St. Gregory described this state as “Resting in God”.

Learning to abide in this stillness and freedom is a gradual process that requires determination, patience, and persistence. It’s a journey of self-discovery which unfolds as the love to know ourselves, as we truly are, grows. And this love grows the more we let go of other things and take refuge in the stillness that lies within.

Feel free to reach out to me if you are looking for spiritual guidance, a listening ear, or simply someone to share your thoughts and experiences with.

Knowing ourselves as we really are is nothing more than being in our natural state, the state of absolute stillness or pure awareness devoid of all impurities, attributes and perceptions. That pure state of being is our fundamental nature and it precedes all superimpositions, like a canvas precedes paint or the cinema screen precedes the images projected on it. If we really like to know the essence of our being we have to go beyond the superimpositions and investigate the underlying foundation, the substratum without which nothing can stand.

The way to know ourselves, or to go beneath the “paint” so to speak, is to put an end to all the mental activity that “colours” our essential nature. We have to remain still and let all the turmoil of the mind subside in order to get clarity of true self knowledge.

If we try to get self knowledge using the mind we will always be misguided. It will be like applying more paint on a canvas hoping that the extra layer of paint will reveal its essence. It is very crucial therefore to understand that self knowledge doesn’t come about with any kind of mental activity but rather with the cessation of all mental activity, it is not a doing but rather a state of being.

“Do you have the patience to wait till your mud settles and the water is clear?” asks Lao Tzu.

Slowly slowly we have to cease being interested in the mental chatter and the phenomenal world and start being interested in the ground on which all these things take place. We have to shift our attention from the known to the knower and thereby bring the mind to a state of stillness and clarity which will reveal the truth beyond the superimpositions — the truth which will set us free.

If you are seeking spiritual guidance or need some clarifications about the method by which we get acquainted with our real nature contact me for an appointment.